关键词: 追随力认知图式 追随原型 内隐追随理论 追随力

Abstract: In the past 3 decade, implicit social cognitive theory was applied to the leadership research field and generate a new theory called implicit leadership theory, which pointed out most of leadership assessment might have bias result because of the influence of leadership prototype primed in the self-report survey process. Recent years, as a flow of followership studied emerge, implicit social cognitive theory was also applied to explore the leader’s assumption about followers and followership. In this context, implicit followership theories (IFTs) were proposed and aroused lots of attention. Broadly, IFTs are defined as respective views of followers. However the broad definition can’t reflect the term “implicit” because cognition contains both explicit and implicit process. Thus we proposed the term of followership schemas instead of IFTs. Followership schemas, which could specify the traits and behaviors of the followers, are stored in memory. These schemas are shaped on the basis of socialization processes and prior experiences with followers, and will be activated when individuals interact with their actual followers. Followership schemas include explicit followership schemas and implicit followership schemas. Implicit followership schemas are the core content of IFTs and refer to an unconscious conceptualization of the attributes of followership which can automatically influence individual’s reaction to a follower. According to the valence of schema, followership schema could be classified into prototype and anti-prototype. Prototype is an abstract representation of positive followership traits and behaviors, while anti-prototype represents negative followership traits and behaviors. There are three other implicit theory paralleling to implicit followership theory in leadership field. That is implicit leadership theory, implicit performance theory and XY theory. However, there is a clear distinction definition between implicit followership theory and the three theories mentioned above. According to the category theory, connectionist network model and adaptive resonance theory, the followership schema has an implicit-actual followership matching process. If this process fails, the followership prototype will be classified as other categories or redefined. If the match succeeds, the followership prototype will have a significant effect on leaders’ attitude towards follower (i.e., performance expectation, liking, relational involvement) and leader’s behavior (i.e., transformational leadership, empowering leadership, abusive supervision, mentor behavior, leader-member exchange). Then, leader’s attitude and behavior will contribute to follower’s workplace well-being (i.e., liking for leaders, trusting in leaders, relationship quality, subjective well-being, psychological safety, job satisfaction), in-role performance and extra-role behavior in the workplace. Besides, emotion, extroversion, self-concept, contextual factors, power distance and individual-collective culture can predict followership schema. Future studies can expand followership schema in the following way. Firstly, Chinese scholars should conduct native exploration on the content structure of followership schemas and develop a reliable and valid measurement in the dual perspective of leaders and followers. Secondly, we could assess the group or organizational followership schema and examine the relationship between followership schemas and group or organizational variables such as emotional climate, team cooperation and team effectiveness. Thirdly, we could use congruent measurement (i.e., different scores, polynomial regression, latent congruence modeling) to investigate the match-up effect of implicit-actual followership. Besides, the neural basis of followership schema also needs to be revealed.

Key words: followership schemas, followership prototype, implicit followership theories, followership